This invention relates to barriers for damming water in order to facilitate bioremediation, flood control, or construction in a wet work area.
In preparation for the erection of a bridge abutment or a pipeline over a stream, it is necessary to dewater, divert, or otherwise control water flow in order to create a dry area into which workers may pour concrete. A prior art method of dewatering involves the steps of (1) driving sheet pilings into the ground in order to create an enclosed area, and (2) pumping unwanted water from the enclosed area. Each piling abuts an adjacent piling, thus sealing against water leakage between the pilings. However, installing sheet pilings is both labor and capital-equipment intensive. Further, such barriers are difficult to remove once in place.
In situations in which large areas must be dewatered, such as in the bioremediation of a swamp contaminated with styrenes or petroleum, or in flood control situations, the sheet piling method is impractical. Other methods have been developed, the simplest and most efficient of which include the use of water-filled barriers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,767 (the '767 patent) to Dooleage discloses a pair of flexible, impermeable bags 11 and 12, held together in a side-by-side relationship by a surrounding cover 13, such as another bag. Col. 2, lines 33-36. Although simple in comparison to sheet piling methods, the cover 13 in the Dooleage design hides the inner bags 11 and 12. This makes it difficult to determine, prior to filling the bags, whether the bags 11 and 12 are properly aligned or whether they are tangled. In addition, utilizing three separate tubes increases the complexity and requires more material, thus increasing the weight of the design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,065 (the '065 patent) to Dooleage discloses in FIG. 9 a water structure section 31 which connects at its end 31a, in abutting engagement, with another water structure section 30. One end of the connecting sleeve 21 receives the water structure section end 31a, with the other connecting sleeve end arranged beneath the water structure section 30. On filling of the water structures and connecting of the sleeve plugs, the connecting sleeve 21 locks in place under the water structure section 30. Col. 6, line 66 through Col. 7, line 8.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,821 to Brodersen discloses an elongated flexible tube 12, which fills with water, and "joint packing material 16" "such as dirt" (Col. 4, line 46), placed at the junction of the water-filled tube and the ground surface 18. Col. 3, lines 10-19. However, the necessity of using the dirt increases the time which erection of the dike structure requires. Further, without the dirt, the dike structure would apparently tend to roll in the direction of the applied water pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,919 to Hendrix discloses a containment device which includes an elongated, flexible tube 11 in the shape of an oblique angled triangle. Col.2, lines 60-64. The triangular shape is maintained by gussets 14 of flexible material, attached by welding or adhesion to the inside of the tube 11. Arcuate cutouts 12 are placed at regular intervals along the inner circumference of the tube 11. Col. 2, lines 65 to Col. 3, line 5. However, the gussets 14 would apparently wrinkle when subjected to a transverse load. It would appear that wrinkling is minimized only when water completely fills the tube 11. Further, it appears that the walls of the tube 11 itself are fully placed in tension only when water completely fills the tube. Therefore, apparently, water must completely fill the tube 11 in order for the containment device to be fully effective.
What is needed is a fluid-fillable barrier which is simple, efficient, easily deployable and light weight, which provides a secure barrier at any filled height, and which does not require shoring up or bracing in order to prevent movement or leakage.